Can opener



oct. 15, 1940. w, P PUNTE 2,218,437

CAN OPENER Filed Nov. 23, 1939 MAL/A744 FZ30/V75 emma oet-1s,

UNITED STATES PATENTv oFjFl'cE j CAN OPENER William F. Punte, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to e Continental Can Company, Inc., New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 23, 1938, Serial No. 242,092

vweakened line which may be formed in any suita-ble manner, as by scoring. The opener is one which is adapted toremove the entire portion of 15 the can end within the score or weakened line,

without the necessity of providing any projecting tongue onthe can end. The opener is constructed so as to remove the portion of the can end within the score line in such a manner that 25 it can beeasily disconnected from the removed portion of the can end so that it can be repeatedly used.

An object of the present invention is to provide a can opening instrument made entirely from a 25 sheet metal blank which is so formed and shaped as to give the strength and rigidity necessary in using the instrument for opening containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener of the above type which is inex- 30 pensive to manufacture, extremely simple in construction and thoroughly ei'ilcient in use,

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can opener which, by proper manipulation thereof, is adapted to puncture the end and 35 to remove the entire portion of the can end within the Score line.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can opener of the above type which includes spaced members between which the rem movable portion of the can end can be disposed after puncturing so that the entire portion of the end within the score line can be removed by proper manipulation of the opener.

The above and other objects of the invention 45 will in part be obvious, and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

Inl the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the opener and a portion of the container, the opener be- 50 ing being shown in position for 'puncturing th can end.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the container in section with -the opener shown, in full lines, extending through the can 55 end afterthe puncturing operation, and showshowing the position of the opener after it has 5 I been moved so that the removable portion of the can end is disposed between the spaced members on the opener.

Figure 4 is a top plan view showing the can end and the opener in the position of Figure 3 1()` before theopener is manipulated so as to remove the portion of the can end within the score line. Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the container is illustrated as including a cylindrical body portion Ill and an end portion II which is suitably secured to the body portion, as by a conventional double seam I2. It is obvious that the opener which is to be hereinafter fully described, can be used with a container of any desired shape. The can end II is provided with a raised annular portion I3 within the double seam I2, and this annular portion I3 serves to strengthen the can encl.` Between the annular portion I3 and the connection between the can end and the body portion, the can end is scored, as at I4, to provide a weakened line 1 ldefining the removable portion of the can end.

The opener is made entirely from a sheet metal blan'klwhich is shaped and formed so as to provide the necessary strength and rigidity. The opener includes a body or handle portion I5 having the longitudinal side walls I6, ISa thereof turned in the same direction at substantially right angles thereto so as to strengthen the same. One end of the handle portion terminates in a pointed piercing or puncturng member I'I which is disposed substantially in the'plane of the handle or body portion I5. The punctiu'ing member I1 is provided with a longitudinally extending rib I8 which serves to strengthen the in- 40 strument when in use.

The side walls I6, Ia of the handle portion I5 are extended in the direction oi the puncturing member I1 to provide members I9, I9a, respectively. The members I9, I9a. are parallel to one another and are disposed in the planes of the side walls IB, I6a, respectively, and are lspaced from the adjacent surface of the puncturing member Il. The members I9, I9a term- 50 nate short of the pointed end of-the puncturing member I'i and are parallel thereto so as to pravide a space of sufficient width to permit the removable portion of the can end to be disposed therebetween during proper manipulation of the Y the portion 20 is again bent inwardly, as at 2|, so v that the latter portion 2| is disposed substantially parallel to the body portion I5. 'I'he portions 20 and 2l are provided with strengthening 'ribs 22, 22a so that this end of the instrument can be used for opening bottles or the like without deformation thereof. Thus, the portion 2| may be placed beneath the skirt on a bottle cap with the top of the cap disposed beneath the adjacentedges of the side walls I6, lia. In this position of the opener, downward movement ofthe opposite end thereof will eect removal of the bottle cap in the customary manner.'

In using the opener for opening cans or similar containers, the portion 20 serves as a hand-rest on which pressure can be applied to the opener'4 -for puncturing or piercing a` portion of the score line in the can endr For this operation, the opener is placed substantially in the position shown in Figure 1 with the pointed end of the member I1 disposed on the score line I4 around the can end. Pressure is then applied to the hand-rest so that the'pointed end of the member I1 will rupture the can end at the score line. The opener will extend substantially to the position shown by the full lines in Figure 2 in accomplishing this puncturing or rupturing operation. However, the opener need only be passed through the can end a distance sumcient to permit the opener to be moved outwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. During this movement of the opener, the portion of the can end within the ruptured part of the score line will be elevated by the member I1, as shown.

In order to completely remove the portion of the can end within the score line I4, the opener is moved inwardly of the container from the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3. In this position of the opener, a portion of the can end including a portion of the annular bead I3 will be disposed within' the space between the member I1 and the members I 9, I9a. Thus, the members I1 and I9, I9a serve substantially as stationary jaws between which a portion i' the can end is disposed. When the opener has been moved to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, it is now only necessary to employ the opener as a lever which is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, so that the entire portion of the can end within the score line will be severed along the score line and completely removed. After the end portion ofv the container is thus removed, the opener can be conveniently disconnected from the removed portion of the end so that the opener can be again used for, opening other containers, thus obviating the necessity of providing a separate opener with each container.

Whileone form of the invention has been shown in` the accompanying drawing for purposes of illustration, it isto be clearly understood that,minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container opener formed entirely from a sheet metal blank, comprising a substantially at body portion having sidewalls extending outwardly therefrom in the same direction and-at substantially right angles thereto for strengthening the same, one end of said body portion being extended in substantially the same plane thereof and having a pointed end adapted to puncture the container wall, the side walls of said body portion being extended in the respective planes of the said side walls toward but terminating short of the pointed end of said body portion and spaced therefrom for permitting a portion of the container to be disposed therebetween after the puncturing operation whereby this portion of the container can be removed by manipulation of the opener, and the opposite end of said body portion being extended at substantially right angles to the plane thereof and to the said side walls for providing a hand rest.

2.`A container opener formed entirely from a sheet metal blank, comprising a substantially flat body portion having side walls extending outwardly therefrom in the same direction and at substantially right angles thereto for strengthening the same, one end of said body portion being extended in substantially the same plane thereof and having a pointed end adapted to puncture the container wall, said pointed end having a strengthening rib extending longitudinally thereof, the side walls of said body portion being extended in the respective planes of the said side Walls toward but terminating short of the pointed end of saidbody portion and spaced therefrom for permitting a 'portion of-the container to be disposed therebetween after the puncturing operation, whereby this portion of the container can be removedvby manipulation of .the opener, the opposite end of said body portion having an extension disposed at substantially right angles to the plane thereof and to the planes of said side walls, the free end of said extension being disposed substantially parallel to said body portion whereby the entire extension provides a hand rest and a convenient means for opening capped containers, and the entire extension having ribs for strengthening the same.

WILLIAM F. PUNTE. 

